Overview & Reviews

Acura is an upscale automaker known for offering cars with impressive levels of luxury, features and performance. It's come a long way in a short time, however, as the history of Acura is relatively brief. Parent company Honda introduced the Acura brand to the U.S. market in 1986 in an effort to create a separate luxury division for its products. At first, it was just a two-car show: the Legend sedan, which was the first true Japanese luxury car sold in America, and the Integra sport coupe and sedan.

Though essentially a marketing creation for the North American market, the Acura brand was immediately successful. Consumers liked the features, performance and upscale image of Acura cars, along with the fact that Acuras were backed by Honda's reputation for reliability and low ownership costs. In 1991, Acura introduced its crown jewel: the all-aluminum NSX sports car, which offered performance close to that of other exotic cars while undercutting them in price.

As Acura's product line grew in the 1990s, however, the company struggled a bit. Some of its products were duds, and it risked alienating loyal customers when it replaced the Legend and Integra names with alphanumeric designations. The company jumped on the hot luxury SUV bandwagon in the mid-'90s with the SLX. Unfortunately, the SLX was just a rebadged version of an Isuzu SUV, and its quality did not match customers' expectations.

For the new millennium, Acura revamped its product range. An all-new SUV called the MDX debuted, sporting numerous family-friendly features, including a third-row seat. The Integra was replaced with the RSX sport coupe, and an all-new entry-level sport sedan called the TSX was introduced after that. A complete redesign of its most popular model, the midsize TL sedan, followed, as did a redesign of its flagship RL luxury sedan.

By mid-decade the NSX was gone, but Acura filled out its model lineup with the street-performance-oriented RDX compact crossover, the TSX wagon and the ZDX, a fastback-styled crossover that placed unique styling over practicality. Today Acura is still trying to find its ideal niche but there's no denying the quality of Acura's vehicles, nor their appealing mix of performance, technology and value.

User Reviews:

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  great car - 2002 Acura MDX
  By dade - October 31 - 12:20 am

  this car is the bbbbbbbbbeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssstttttttt

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  Came up from an Acura TL - 2015 Acura TLX
  By Rick Drew - October 30 - 8:27 am

  The Acura TLX is an excellent replacement to an Acura TL (which I drove for the past three years). In terms of space, it is equal to the TL. I cannot perceive a difference (from the TL) in the available space inside (I am 6 and heavy set) and I am totally comfortable in this car. In terms of performance the car accellerates quite well ( I use the "Sport" setting) and it really knows how to "get out of its own way." I am not agressive enough a driver to benefit from the SH-AWD but I feel totally in control and very comfortable wih the handling. The audio system is just fine (I have the standard setup) and I have no problem dealing with the two screen control. Anyone who says its confusing just hasnt taken a few minutes to learn how to be comfortable with it. I like that I can now "type in" directions to the "Nav system" as opposed to the TL which required me to "spin and select." The soundproofing has been significantly enhanced and it cruises at very low cabin noise levels. I really like the safety features such as the blind spot warning. I also like the Lane Keeping Assistance System (LKAS). It works very well. If you dont keep a light touch on the wheel while it is in use, it will notify that "Steering Required" after about 20 seconds which is fine with me. After all, this is not a self-driving car but the LKAS makes a long highway trip very relaxing just as cruise control does. Mileage is amazing. I get 25 MPG combined city and highway and it will travel over 500 miles on a (17 gallon) tank of gas on the freeway. I have driven non-stop from L.A. To the Bay Area without gettting into reserve. What I would change: I hate the engine idle stop feature (which is the default and kicks in at every stop). I would prefer that the default would be that it is OFF and you would then choose to turn it ON. I also disable the collision warning (that you are over taking the car ahead) because it sets off too many annoying false alarms every time I approach a car ahead of me. I would make this default to OFF as well. Finally, I wish it had exhaust tailpipes to funnel or direct the exhaust away from the back of the car. As it is, the back endof my (white) constantly gets sooty from the exhaust getting caught up in the turbulence behind the car and pulled back towards the car. Finally, it sometimes. "Hangs on" to a gear too long. For example, if I use the downshift paddle shifter to decellerate, it may hold the selected downshifted gear too long when I accellerate out. Summary: hey, its just a car and no car is perfect (at least that I can afford) and overall I am very satisfied with the TLX. It is a real step up from the TL and I am very glad I bought it. I think its one of the best kept secrets sport sedan class and offers terrific value especially when compared to its pricy German competition.

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  Fun to Drive = 10 - 2004 Acura TSX
  By Carlos - October 29 - 5:10 pm

  I now have 20,000 miles on my TSX. I love my job, but I love my commute even more, thanks to this car. I get 25mpg in a mixed driving. On a road trip, over 30mpg. The only problem I have had is that the jockey box lid hinges were too tight, so the wrong compartment would open. Fixed it myself in 5 minutes. I like the fact that this car isnt as common as 3-series, and G35s. Actually, its not in the same class as those cars, but its just as fun, interior features are first class, and you get Honda reliability. I even appreciate the fact that there is no timing belt (its a chain), since I plan to keep this car for a long, long time.

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  Type S - 2005 Acura RSX
  By Woe-D - October 28 - 2:21 pm

  I bought my type S in Feb. The car is just sick. It handles like no other car I have ever driven. The gear ratio is ridiculus. I can shift gears so quick it doesnt make any sense. I recently took it to the mountains and had a blast going around sharp curves at high speeds. Not even feeling like I was even going 15 miles an hour. It is a great car.

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  Go drive it !! - 2005 Acura TSX
  By Mike Green - October 28 - 10:48 am

  If you are considering a sedan in the upscale market, go drive this car. Originally I wasnt prepared to kiss goodbye that kind of money for a FWD 4 cyl car (came from a BMW) but after driving it, the cars responses were so agile, yet forgiving...sharp yet smooth. I find the car has good power at low rpm and GREAT acceleration above about 4,000 rpm. Havent driven it in the winter yet but am getting a set of Michelins w/rims. Overall I am very happy with this car.

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  Great car - 2005 Acura TSX
  By sportingbill - October 27 - 10:46 pm

  The Acura TSX is supposed to be the entry-level sedan. If it is, this is a fine entry level. Everything, meaning everything, has performed as advertised on this car since purchase 10 months ago. It is quick, it is nimble, it is a blast to drive. If you are overweight, you might not be as comfortable in this smallish interior as some. It has a 4-cylinder engine, but it is tuned to performance levels. Pickup has never been an issue.

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  Absolutely a wonderful car - 1998 Acura NSX
  By Kushbudz - October 27 - 10:14 pm

  In this day and age where you see Bimmers and Porsches everywhere its amazing how many heads a 15 year old design turns. True marks of a classic. Besides the looks the car is an absolute thrill to drive. The brakes are amazing, the road feel is unmatched and the engine hits right where you need it.

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  2nd one / nicer than the 1st - 2005 Acura TL
  By Robert Hammers - October 27 - 9:10 pm

  My wife and I traded our old Acura CL type s for the Acura TL and absolutely love this car...

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  SLICK! - 2004 Acura RSX
  By Velma - October 27 - 10:00 am

  This is my first Acura and Im hooked! The RSX-S is well-built and has a lot of power, especially on the highway when passing. Its not as quick off the line as I had hoped, but it is still a contender. Nighthawk Black is hot to look at-- I have received lots of compliments on it. Handling is excellent. The red dash lights at night are awesome!

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  Had the rest, now own the best - 2004 Acura MDX
  By tbooth2 - October 27 - 10:00 am

  Been through six cars since 1993, last vehicle was repurchased from mfg as a lemon. I have to say this is the best so far. Of course, the technology has gotten better, but this car combines the best of SUV/auto and sacrifices little except for gas mileage. Great acceleration, quiet and solid with no squeaks/rattles or cheezy interior plastics. The stock rims are a little lame for the this price bracket, but they kind of grow on you and wont attract too much attention. Even with few suggestions for improvements, we are very pleased with our purchase and would recommend this vehicle.